Girls struggle with deafness but also lack basics like pads

At Pwani Secondary School for the Deaf, a special national school in Kilifi, the girls don't just worry about their studies and the challenges of disability. Their panties could be stolen in the dormitory.

"Some of us do not have panties. They steal from others in the dormitories, so by donating them it has been very helpful," Fatuma Ngelesani, a Form 4 student, said through interpreter Mark Aringo, a teacher at the school.

She spoke after the girls received donations of sanitary towels, underpants, soaps, face masks and sanitiser from Wima, a Kilifi-based community organisation that is working under the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness Kenya.

Deaf teenage girls from poor families in the national school struggle without some basic necessities.

When the Star visited the school together with officials of Wima, the girls could not hide their joy for the donations.

The national school enrols  boys and girls from all over the country.

Ngelesani, from Taita Taveta, said when Wima brought the sanitary towels one of her friends had finished all her pads.

"Most of us come from poor families and the shopping done when we are coming to school is very small and has to last the whole term. We are grateful even for the soap to wash our clothes," she said.

At home, she said, at times it is difficult to get money to buy soap for personal hygiene.

Often her father says he does not have money when she wants to buy pads .

"This makes it difficult to walk around the village during menstruation so I have to stay at home until the period ends" she said.

Annete Mwatela from Chonyi in Kilifi county said they also received support from Woman Rep Getrude Mbeyu and the local assistant chief.

At home, she uses pieces of cloth during menstruation as her parents cannot afford sanitary pads.

"The major challenge while at home is to use the pieces of cloth and wash them to reuse. In school if we do not have pads it's difficult to stay for along time outside because sometimes there are stains on the clothes," Mwatela said.

At such times she spends stays in bed in the dorm. Mwatela dreams of becoming a police  officer after competing her studies while Ngelesani wants to be a lawyer or a journalist.

The girls said in future when they become leaders, they will push for parents to ensure all deaf children go to school and ensure schools like the one they are in have adequate security.

Ngelesani said at home during holidays it is sometimes a challenge to explain to parents what they need because of inability to speak.

Deputy principal Catherine Wanza said due to this communication barrier with parents, the community and politicians do not understand the plight of the deaf, which is a major challenge.

She said teachers go through many challenges as the girls do not have crucial facilities like masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We, as teachers, are forced to do fundraising to buy the masks," she said.

Wanza said the children always go to her to ask for help and this has drained her finances to the extent that she is unable to support them anymore to buy sanitary pads.

The dDeputy principal said currently many students have no pads.

"Like now I have one who has heavy flow and because of her disability she is unwell. When one is deaf she might have other problems; some have multiple disabilities and use many pads," she said.

Wanza said she had four sacks of 48 packs of sanitary towels but they were finished within a month.

The deputy principal also said boys have been forgotten particularly at the school, which is mixed, and most of them are in their adolescence.

She said lack of underwear is a big problem in the school as those who do not have steal from others.

Wanza said this gives rise to many discipline cases. At times, she said, she finds it difficult to punish a student when such cases are brought to her and feelslike punishing the parents who do not provide for their children.

"Most of our parents are poor, others believe that special schools have sponsors but actually we do not have sponsors," she said.

The deputy principal said some parents drop their children at the roadside and direct them to the school alone, leaving the teachers to provide everything from soap, pens to books.

She said as an institution they try to provide textbooks and exercise books as the Ministry of Education supplies them but the children do not have other basic needs.

"We pray that we get more donors to support us because teachers go an extra mile. You know, we also have our families but when we see a child suffering we have to help," she said.

She thanked Wima for their support. The deputy principal also urged society to change its perception of the deaf as they feel oppressed when they do not get what they require.

Saumu Mwadime, a community champion trained by Crew  working under Wima, said parents do not know sign language and a majority are illiterate. That's why they cannot communicate well with their children.

"The boys sometimes take advantage of the girls because they are deaf and cannot shout. That's why they even defile them," she said.

In Kibarani School for the Deaf where Saumu is chairperson, one person offered to train some parents in sign language in small numbers so as to communicate better with their children.

She called on sponsors to train parents of children who are deaf for proper communication at home.

Edited by Henry Makori